Ferguson retaining title hope

Monday 3 May 2010 08:10 BST

Sir Alex Ferguson

Sir Alex Ferguson was left to bemoan Steven Gerrard's "great gift" to Chelsea as the race for the Barclays Premier League title went down to the wire.

The Manchester United boss saw Didier Drogba latch onto the Liverpool midfielder's back pass to fire Chelsea in front at Anfield as they briefly extended their advantage to four points. United's 1-0 win at Sunderland reduced the gap again to a single point, but the Blues remain in the driving seat for next weekend's dramatic finale.

Ferguson said: "I just saw it after the game. It was a great gift. There's nothing we can do about it now, we just have to get on with it."

If Chelsea beat Wigan at home next Sunday - they lost 3-1 at the JJB Stadium in September - the trophy will be heading for Stamford Bridge regardless of what happens at Old Trafford, where Stoke are the visitors.

But Ferguson knows from experience that nothing is ever certain in football.

He said: "All we can do is win our game next week. We want to do that, we are playing in front of our fans in the last game of the season.

"I won't insult Wigan in any shadow or form because I think they are a really good football team.

"They will have a go and you never know what happens in football. It's a crazy game."